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Friday, September 23, 2011

Gaming, A Constructive Hobby

Work has stopped me from doing my usual projects, and I miss doing them. Although I can play Urban Terror or lose my self in a computer game, I would rather be world building or GM tool building.

Last year, I could lose 6-10 hours a week playing either Civ 5, or dividing those hours to multiple days of the week playing CounterStrike. Now, that I learned to spreadsheets (because of work) and I can make better GM tools, I happen to be too busy to make something more worthwhile.

Productivity is a nagging compulsion, that is more about who I think I am than the economic reasons behind them. I feel guilty wasting my time with an action with nothing to show for, or something that doesn't built into something greater.

Gaming, to me is the root of a lot of my key Life skills. Particularly problem solving and research skills. Not to mention being a GM makes me a bit more particular than the people around me about layout, presentation and details. So most of the things I do related to gaming, is the whetstone by which I hone valuable work skills.

But, there is a difference between work and gaming. I would rather be making more stuff for gaming than work, if I had a little time to spare. If I wanted to do work, in such little free time there would be something seriously wrong with me. (assuming that I had all my other responsibilities and obligations in check, and I am able to balance all the other parts of my life).

Although I do notice that my game writing gets pretty too work-TMI sometimes. I guess you can chalk it up to Escalation. My game obsession has to, somewhat, escalate as my work complexity escalates as well. Challenges has to get harder, as ones appreciation gets broader or more nuanced. I guess its part of getting older, in a way I want to take the game with me up to those complicated reaches life and work gets to.

Cant wait for the next time I have enough free time to finish my damn personal gaming projects. When work accomplishment is to hard to come by (with all the frustrating real world problems), Gaming gives that sense of accomplishment.

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